Murray Wood: Twenty-year-old murder case shows shortcomings of Youth Criminal Justice Act
Murray Wood says the fact a 37-year-old man dodged an adult sentence for the killing if Misha Pavelick 20 years ago shou...
Hundreds of book lovers lined up outside the Highland Curling Club on Wednesday, hoping to get their hands on a bargain at Regina’s annual Big Book Sale.
The fundraiser, organized by the Seniors’ University Group, brings thousands of donated books, puzzles, games, records, CDs and DVDs for sale under one roof.
For some shoppers, the search started early. Amanda Campeau took the day off work and arrived around 6:30 a.m.
Read more:
- Regina Ukrainians ‘deeply affected’ after federation hall destroyed by fire
- Saskatchewan invests $1.15M in 22 Regina sober living spaces
- Rider fans embrace first-ever tailgate party at Mosaic Stadium
“I own 4,000 books at home, so I just keep adding,” Campeau said.
Campeau has been coming to the sale for about a decade, searching mostly for mystery, thriller and horror books. She said she often tries to complete different series she has already started collecting.
Amanda Campeau arrived before sunrise for Regina’s annual Big Book Sale on Wed, June 12, 2026. Campeau says she owns about 4,000 books and has attended the fundraiser for roughly a decade. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“For me, I love books. I love reading. It’s an escapism,” she said. “It’s always been a part of my life, since I was younger.”
Campeau said books have always meant more to her than just something to read.
“They’re kind of my friends, books,” she said. “I just think books are amazing, and I really hope that it gets passed down to more kids and they can discover books, as well.”
Patrick Hunt made the trip from Neudorf, near Melville, and said he arrived around 8:30 a.m. for the sale after an hour-and-a-half drive.
Patrick Hunt, right, travelled from Neudorf to attend Regina’s annual Big Book Sale at the Highland Curling Club on Wednesday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
Hunt said he was looking for board games and a copy of “Dungeon Crawler Carl.”
“It’s a big long line for people trying to get cheap books that normally cost $20 to $60 to $80 for like, five bucks, three bucks, that kind of stuff,” he said.
Samantha Johnson said she and her mom arrived around 8 a.m. after missing out last year on some of the books she’d wanted.
“Last year we came, and we didn’t come until like 1 o’clock, and there was no Jerome stuff,” Johnson said, sharing that she was hoping to finish a collection this year, while her mom was looking for games, puzzles, DVDs and other books.
A long lineup wraps around the Highland Curling Club ahead of Regina’s annual Big Book Sale on Wednesday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“It means a lot, because you’re coming to one spot to look at books that might (normally) take you 10 or 15 different locations before you see all these books,” she said.
Francis Israel said the sale has become an annual event for him and his wife.
“It has become my wife and I’s sort of a summer tradition, coming for the book sale, as well as to support the good cause that they do,” Israel said.
He said he enjoys finding unexpected books and old favourites.
“Everything’s mostly digital books now, but I like the physical book – just the nostalgia of reading an actual book sometimes,” Israel said.
Dianne Swanson, co-chair of the Big Book Sale committee, said the event takes about three weeks to set up. She said volunteers collect donations, wash and set up tables, sort books and prepare the space before shoppers arrive.
Rows of books fill the Highland Curling Club during Regina’s annual Big Book Sale. Volunteers say roughly 150,000 donated books, puzzles, games, records and CDs were sorted for this year’s fundraiser supporting the Seniors’ University Group. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“It is such a wonderful community event,” Swanson said. “If you love books, it absolutely just sort of fills your soul.”
Swanson said the sale is also about supporting the Seniors’ University Group.
“The people coming together for a common cause … is just absolutely a phenomenal project,” she shared.
Swanson said about 150,000 items are donated each year and hundreds of volunteers help make the sale happen. She said the event also shows there is still a strong appetite for books.
Francis Israel says Regina’s annual Big Book Sale has become a summer tradition for him and his wife. Israel attended the fundraiser at the Highland Curling Club on Wednesday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“It’s so exciting to see that reading books is not dying,” Swanson said.
Younger readers are still showing up, she said, even if their tastes sometimes look a little different.
“We have a lot of young people who are discovering the classics,” she said. “We’re seeing something that kind of changes that story a little bit.”
For Hannah Fortier, the sale is also about the experience.
Hannah Fortier waits in line before the opening of Regina’s annual Big Book Sale at the Highland Curling Club on Wednesday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
“We keep coming every year because it’s really fun,” Fortier said. “It’s fun to do and buy new books and stuff to read.”
Fortier said she was hoping to find the third book in a series she’s reading.
“I purchased about $24 last year, so I’m hoping I can keep in budget,” she said.
Hundreds of people line up outside the Highland Curling Club before the doors open for Regina’s annual Big Book Sale on Wednesday. (Jacob Bamhour/980 CJME)
